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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · cue · bank · chair · cold · rest · toast · tube

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tube — the underground
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — bread
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com